[Closed] Win a free Thunderbolt Innocase II Surface Case!

I want to thank every member who has hung out in the Thunderbolt forums over the last several months. I've been through many a device release, and while rumors, delays, and un kept promises are usually part of each release; the launch of the TB has taken each and everyone of these things to the extreme.

From my vantage point, it has been so exciting for me to see this community grow. You guys have made a dream come true for me, and I hope everyone has found a new home at AC. I can tell you now, that we have been the most active TB forum I am aware of.

In the future, you will start seeing FAQ's, Guides for rooting, ROM's, Kernels, Themes, and a lot of other content that we hope will benefit you. This is your forum, so if there's anything I can do to make it better, please PM me and let me know!

I first heard about the TB back when it was the "Mecha" and rumored to be the Incredible 2 and out in November. My 2-year contract with T-Mobile was up in November and the rumor was it'd be out by the end of the year -- so I waited!

The most attractive rumor about the Mecha at the time was that it might get 4G LTE. My current T-Mobile G1 was one of the first 3G Smartphones from T-Mobile, so I thought it'd be fun to have one of the first 4G phones (Ok, WiMAX and HSPA+ have been around awhile, but this is the first LTE phone from Verizon!).

Once it was clear the phone wasn't going to come out by Christmas, I knew they'd show it off at CES, maybe even announce it -- so I waited some more. CES came and went with a lot of information about the Thunderbolt, but no announcement or release date -- all talk at CES was that it was the most mature LTE phone of the bunch and it would likely be out very soon.

I had already waited a few months, what was another month or so? And then the rumors started flying -- February 14th was the date! Best Buy had a pre-order. I got there on Sunday before Best Buy opened and was the 2nd person to pre-order at my local store. But as we all know -- dates came and went for over a month before we'd finally get the release date.

In that time, my T-Mobile G1 was getting worse and worse. It shuts off at random times -- generally the more you use it, the more it crashes or shuts off. So times when the phone rings, and you goto answer it -- it will shut off. Making a phone call? It shuts off. Using Google Maps Navigation -- it might shut off in the middle. Phones aren't meant to last 2-years which is why I'll be pursuing a 1-year contract from Verizon if one is available. If not, then I'm still pre-ordered with Best buy and hopefully I can get the free buy-back.

If you can't tell - it has been a crazy past few months. I have been going to Android websites multiple multiple times a day to find out the latest news. Searching for new posts by Bennnnn, jayishere, or anyone else who claimed to have inside knowledge was almost an hourly routine.

Now its just 2-days away and I can't wait!

PS- My G1 is rooted and running CM 6, I definitely plan on rooting and running custom ROMs on my Thunderbolt (maybe not day 1, but eventually!)

I've been interested in the LTE devices for a long time -- a few months prior to CES. I always sign up for 1yr contracts and knew that by the time my Droid was up for renewal I would have the chance at a new LTE device.

What interested you the most?

Large screen, HTC sense 2.0, video calling, etc etc. I'm interested in all of it .

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?

I wouldn't say "crazy" but more so frustrated. This phone is a need for me at this point with my Droid beyond frustrating at this point.

I'm hoping to pickup one at VZW store on Thursday morning. Still debating whether or not to skip out on work for 9am or try to snag one at lunchtime. If for whatever reason I can't get one I'll just order online and get it Friday.

Right before the Thunderbolt was announced at CES this year I was starting to get the itch for an Android device. I have never been a fan of iOS, and as much as I love WebOS there just wasn't much of future in it. I toyed with the idea of getting the Evo since I am already with Sprint, but paying $200 for a year old device using WiMAX didn't sit well with me.

Then I ran across the Thunderbolt while looking through coverage from CES. It was the same form factor I had been wanting with the Evo, but it was going to support 4G LTE. Those two things alone peaked by interest, then everything else after it was nothing but a perk. I started watching every video on YouTube I could find scouring for more and more information. I started reading through three or four forums with Thunderbolt coverage every day during down time at work just to get an idea of when it would be available, to learn, and be as ready as possible. I wanted this phone so bad I even broke down and bought my wife the VZW iPhone 4 that she'd wanted just so I could transfer our service over and I could be poised to get the Thunderbolt.

The day Best Buy advertised they were doing pre-orders for the Thunderbolt, I was in the store minutes after opening talking to the reps to put my money down. They had no idea what the Thunderbolt was or how to even enter the pre-order, but luckily I got the order entered and they took my money. Feburary 14th came and wend with great anticipation and great disappointment. I hadn't given up yet and when the following week BBY advertised the phone as being available, again I went in the store that Sunday and was yet again let down. By the end of February and missing the hopeful dates there, I was getting really desperate for an Android device. I started considering picking up an Incredible from BBY to use the 30 day exchange period, even started looking for getting a good deal on a used Incredible from Craigslist or eBay but I just couldn't bring my self to do it because I didn't want to taint my first experience of Android outside of the goodness of 4G LTE. As of last week I was all but done waiting and was going to cash out my gift card and cancel my pre-order and move along to other passions in life. But then the rumor, the 17th, it was due, it had too, so I held on just a bit more.

Here we sit through all the drama, the frustration, the missed hopeful/leaked dates and we're all in rejoice as we wait just two more days to pick up the holy grail of Android devices. I plan to swing by the VZW store by my office around 9:00 AM when they open to pick up the Thunderbolt. If I get there too late or do not get there at all, then I will be waiting until I get off work that day to swing by Best Buy and use my pre-order there to pick up the phone. Either way I will have a Thunderbolt on the 17th, and that gift card is going to be used or cashed out.

Through all of this I love how the TB is compared to the Evo, when it is really an improvement in every way. Every time it is brought up, a list of features a mile long are rattled off showing just how much the Thunderbolt will eclipse the long time reign of the Evo.

Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB
Back in January when my bro-in-law, who works for Verizon corporate told me about the phone. I was about to renew my contract for a Droid X and he told me that I would only have to hold out a couple more weeks for the THUNDERBOLT! Every time I talked with him, I would ask him what the latest he heard on the release was. He eventually said that his bosses didn't even know anymore.

What interested you the most?
Simultaneous voice and data

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
I've started to have nightmares that I finally got mine and then my wife broke it that very same day or I lost it somehow...

What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
Brick and Mortar, going on an early lunch break around 1030 or 11am.

And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
This will be my first Android phone.

Promised to register once the Tbolt got an official release. Have been a stalker ever since my storm 1 broke (so pretty much for the past 3 months)

Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB

I -was- going to go for an iPhone back in Feb. A close friend over Facebook suggested to hold off and showed me this device. He also said that I wouldn't have to wait beyond Feb (yeah right.)

What interested you the most?

True video calling. This was the ONE feature that held me back from just purchasing the iPhone 4 all this time. I knew that the iPhone 5 would have this too, and that I would kick myself if I went ahead and got something clearly last gen. Plus, after a lot of research, I can conclusively say that Droid. Kicks. ***.

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?

Not really that crazy... maybe just because I was then saving for a new laptop too. But, I've spent a cumulative 10+ hours just looking at the forums.... was it worth $150 of my time? YES.

Heard back in oct. or nov. around the time when the merge is the delayed device that everyone was waiting for... once that failed to show up, decided to get the tbolt and preordered it at BB and had a long wait... glad that will be over soon and i dont have to deal with the storm anymore

I first pre-ordered from BB but I decided to order from wirefly to save myself a little bit of money since i need to get another phone for my wife... i dont mind the addition contract...

And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.

I was so crazy about this phone that i drove 2+ hours to northampton when they were having a drawing for the tbolt and the person that actually won stood next to me... i felt like i wanted to jump her afterward just for the phone haha....
i also convinced my younger bro to get this as well and he will be getting it at BB and i think i convinced a lot of my colleagues at work to get this phone as well...

Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB.
Originally I didn't want anything to do with the TB based on the presentation at CES. I was one of those who was Dual Core or bust. After reading more into the announced devices and remembering the good ol days of Sense on my Eris, it became clearer that a TB was a must.

What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
In the end I have to say the new Sense and the usability of the FFC. I really really really love Sense.

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
The fact I check these forums more then I do work at my job.... does that answer this question?

What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
The plan is to be at my local store right as the doors open on Thursday. Thankfully it's only 2 miles down the road. Already blocked "Out of Office" time on my work calendar.

I'll be at my local VZW Store 30 minutes or so before they open. I'm telling myself that I'm not nuts for doing that because I'll be hosting a conference call for work while I wait and doing that in line at the store is as good a place as any.

5. And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.

My employer just announced (30 minutes ago) a layoff of 300 people. Don't know when it will happen, but it will be sooner than later. I guess it could give me more time to play with my Thunderbolt. Or I can use the free hotspot to look for a new job! #SilverLining!

1) I started being interested in this thing when it was shown at CES. My business partner got his storm-->Droid X upgrade when it first came out and mine upgrade didn't kick-in until November. So I have been waiting for something better than the Droid X since November.
2) Interested in the complete package. I am very interested in becoming connected fully with Google Apps. My Storm does a decent job, but I'm ready for the upgrade.
3) Pass
4) Pre-ordered the TB at bestbuy on 2/8/11 (have receipt in front of me).
5) Nothing about this has been humorous! I've been going crazy waiting for the release!

I first started showing interest in Android about this time last year when my wife got her original Droid. I had (and still have) an HTC Ozone and I've loved the HTC designs and stuff like Sense. When the Evo and the Droid X came out I couldn't wait for a Verizon HTC 4.3" android phone and I've been following the rumors and speculation ever since some of those pics came out over the summer.

What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?

The two biggest things are the 4.3" screen and the fact that it's an HTC phone with Sense. The LTE is just icing on the cake, I would have been perfectly happy with it if it had come out in November without LTE on it.

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?

Verizon has been driving me crazy, but not so much cause the phone delayed. Over the summer, right about 13 months into my 2-year contract I started getting fliers in the mail saying that I was eligible for an early upgrade. My frustration was that there wasn't a phone I really wanted at the time and the rumor pics of the Mecha/Incredible HD/Thunderbolt had just started surfacing, so I wanted to wait for that. Then in January when the phone is announced at CES I check with my local VZW store and they say that something was wrong, cause I can't upgrade till March. So it was back to waiting for me and more frustration. Then all these rumored dates start popping up about a Feb release and I start getting worried about a supply problem like they had for the Incredible and with my renewal date a few weeks down the road I was worried they wouldn't have any once I was able to buy it. Now it's almost all worked out, just a matter of actually getting one.

I have no clue. I was hoping for either an online pre-order or an early opening at the VZW stores like they did for the iphone, but no luck so far. See the thing is my in-laws own a small vineyard where my wife works and I help out on the weekends. The wine bottling (which has been scheduled for about 2 months) is on Thursday and we're starting before any of the VZW stores open, but after hearing from BMX about the possible supply shortages I'm worried that by the time we finish and I can get to a store they're all gonna be sold out. I don't wanna pre-order through Wirefly b/c the cheapest plan they offer has unlimited texting built in and I don't need that much extra and I was looking for a 1-year contract (which they're not offering). Also the company I work for gets a discount with Verizon, so I've got to go to a VZW store to get all my discounts.

Oh, a sad tale it is that you ask for, my friend. Why it all started 11 years ago and thousands of miles away, and when I was in the prime of my youth. There was a device there, at this JavaOne conference, a SHARP PDA -- it ran embedded Linux and sported the first micro-java of the era. A slide out keyboard (on the bottom in portrait mode) was there as well. The line was hours long, but I managed to grab the wee beastie despite being hit up by head-hunters more than once (the tech bubble was only cracking then, but had not yet popped). I didn't take up any of the head-hunters -- but I did fall in love with the idea the device offered up -- trying my hand at a few different Java "mitlets".
But it just didn't have the "ummph" I knew I would need (and it wouldn't connect to any networks.)
Two years ago, I found myself suddenly in need of having my personal e-mail with me anywhere I went. I was in a bit of a hurry, and the storm seemed like the best option (the "google phone" not on Verizon) and so it is with my BB 9530, I still fumble through to this day. I learned about battery pulls, spontaneous reboots, and crackberry forums. I tried to write a few embedded java programs, but alas the Storm was not a cooperative platform. Still, it supported my requirements to have e-mail, text, and phone on hand and on call -- despite the spontaneous reboots, battery pulls, questionable battery life, replacement in the market with the storm2 very few months later, and the quick halt of leaked OS updates.
My 20 months were up almost half a year ago, and I'm well past my 24 with my current phone. So, last autumn, I started researching. This time, I would not grab another "storm" just because it was the best on the market that day. This time, I would wait and find the right phone for me. I aimed myself at February because that would be tax-return season.
At the end of January, I had set myself on getting one of the Droid's. Their reputation was good, and they were more of a proven technology. It was down to the Incredible vs. the Moto D2Global when I found these forums and learned of the Feb. 14th release of the Thunderbolt.
Here was the phone for me! Bigger screen, better memory (the primary factor for me), huge SD card, 2nd generation technology CPU, and look, it'll even support LTE should that ever come in my area. I convinced myself this phone would last the 20+ months until I could replace it again. Heck, I still have the same laptop at work after 4 years, and I DEVELOP on it, so I know about making a device last.

The 14th came -- and the 14th went. Fortunately, I remembered to treat the wife right on Valentines day.
The next anticipated drop date came, and went.
"Ahh," I thought to myself, "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go past."

I started to become obsessed with this phone. I joined the forums and started to make comments and take part in the banter and conversations. I asked a few questions and got the occasional good answer.
I pulled down the Android SDK, and this time I not only wrote something, but I wrote a primitive game -- in a day. My excitement swelled to new heights. THIS was the platform for me. This was the promised future I got a taste of at the beginning of the millennium.

Another deadline came and went, now it was March, and I started to doubt myself. Was this really the phone for me after all? It doesn't support global (though I've only needed that once in 2 years.) The battery life was questionable (but so is the battery on my storm). Was I only interested in this phone so much because of it's name (I'm *really* into storm tracking and other weather things.) Each day my tween-aged daughter asks me if the phone is out, and when I say "not yet" she winces and pats me gently on the shoulder -- letting me sulk in my constant refreshes of various web-sites for new tidbits of news.

My wife's phone died two weeks ago. I know better than to aim her at a specific phone (she'll run away) so I carefully pointed her at the iPhone. She chose the Droid 2 Global -- the phone I was initially aiming at before I learned about Sense UI and the Thunderbolt. In the week and a half she has had this phone, I've used it three times (when she wasn't looking). I compare it to the Droid incredible I played with at the store that day and I was more assured that the thunderbolt would be for me. She loves the slide out keyboard, (I don't). She loves the size of the screen (too small for me). I can't stand MotoBlur, she doesn't see an issue with it.

But the waiting has been that much worse, because here is an android phone -- now in my house, and I CAN'T PLAY WITH IT LIKE I WANT TO!

But the agony is less today. Verizon's official announcement has come out. I can make real plans with real information. I see the light at the end of the tunnel (and no tell-tale whistle of the oncoming train).

Will this phone be another Storm? I don't know. I do know that Thursday morning, just as the store opens I will go and try to get one of these phones. I won't wait outside the store all night, or even show up too much before their regularly scheduled opening. I have some limits.

If for some strange twist of fate, I'm unlucky enough to find the one VZW corporate store that doesn't get these phones, or they run out before they get to me in line, then perhaps the cycle will start all over again.

But tonight, with real information and a real plan, I can spend the evening with my family again. Won't they be surprised. Two more nights until I may have the phone, or until I may have to start the search again. It'll almost be a vacation of sorts. I have my contacts backed up, my accounts all prepped, and my little primitive game prototype ready for a test-run on a real device. So, Thursday will be a day of triumph or tragedy.

But hey, I was raised Irish-American, my patron saint is Patrick (Thursday *is* his day), my favorite color is green, and I have enough metal in my back to be a lightning rod. It should be a good day for me to catch a Thunderbolt!

Though with my luck, they'll just give out free taser shots to each Thunderbolt'aholic that shows up at the store and tell us that's the only Thunderbolt we'll get. :P

1. Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB....Well, not until late in the game...I've been losing interest in my Blackberry Tour for awhile now and just have been waiting on something new from Blackberry but nothing...saw my friends evo New Years Eve. Woke up with a hangover the next day and googled for something similar for Verizon and it brought me here...I believe that is the day I joined Android Central.

2. What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?...Screen size and having the ability to use live wallpapers (I know, I'm lame) But I've been studying everything about this phone the past few months and I couldn't be more excited about what I'm getting myself into!

3. How crazy you've gone through all these delays? I've been going pretty crazy, checking AC every 5 min for new updates (This morning, at 8:30am, I randomly jumped out of my sleep just to check my blackberry and what do ya know, front page of AC, TB announced!) I've been trying to keep myself busy with work, episodes of LOST, and drunkem St. Pattys day festivities, lol

4. What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night? I am doing it online, it WILL kill me to wait til Friday, but I have to work alll day...I'm debating getting it sent to my job, I will be in work all of Friday going crazy..

5. And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting....Well this is strange and prob won;t make sense, but I had a dream a few months back, (before the tb commercial with the book) that I'd finally gotten my thunderbolt and it was so big and weird, it actually had pages, it looked like an encyclopedia with all of this information in it and I hated it so I sent it back...lol hard to explain because it was so stupid...any I can;t wait til the 17th!

Back when I was a fetus, my mother and father would sing to me about the thunderbolt and all the cool stuff it would do, "and if that diamond ring doesn't shine, mama's going to buy a thunderbolt for that baby of mine..." that was 35 years ago, and as I went through school, children would look funny at me as I'd tell them stories of the mighty Thunderbolt, conqueror of the LTE network, and vanquisher of the mighty iPhone. For years I bounced from institution to institution being called crazy because I prophesied about devices that would allow you to speak wirelessly to people across the world on a hand held device, and eventually that would let you see each other while doing that. I was finally released two months ago when the initial announcement was made, but the authorities were coming to lock me up again, when it looked like the Thunderbolt was just a myth. Actually they were at my front door this morning about to take me away when I showed them Verizon's announcement that it would be here this Thursday. I plan to use the free wifi hotspot and tether every device in my home to it just because I can, all the while while playing recorded videos through my ps3 with dlna, running up gigs of data. Ipads, xboxes, roku boxes, you name it. Heck I'll even let people driving by my house tether for free.

What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
The fact that this phone is Verizon, it's Android so that it's Open Source and not as stuffy as the iPhone 3G I'm coming from, and that I live right in the middle of a 4G area with 4G coverage North South East and West of me for at least an hour...I need the speed!

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
I've had a couple of nights where I woke up with just crappy dreams about having it and then not. I've also tried to help the community here, and at Phandroid by posting as much inside information as I could get my hands on at Best Buy. I wanted to help out the community as much as possible. I've even started to write for Android Headlines to help spread the word!

What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
I'm picking up my phone the minute it comes into my best buy, so hopefully I'll be able to give everyone a review a bit early .

And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
I've tried to keep everyone as up to date from the Best Buy side as possible. I originally leaked the first best buy in stock date (2-21), we saw how well that went. I also was the one who leaked the first instance of the Thunderbolt in the Best Buy weekly ad, as well as the first retraction.

1. Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB.
Back during the BGR leaks from last August
2. What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
Screen size/the aesthetics
3. How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
Not too crazy, I wasn't considering since I had a droid x but I have since dropped my phone into my washing machine making the release date crucial to get a working phone.
4. What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
Preordered on wirefly already
5. And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
Never considered another single core phone, but with the 4g locked in pricing and the other various features it still makes the tbolt a good upgrade for me.

My girlfriend got me onto the TB via SMS late last year. I got a little worried when she exclaimed (full caps is excitatory, yes?) "I NEED TB!". Now why on earth would anybody want tuberculosis? Alas, I decided not to confront her on this issue; last time I did, I woke up with my head in the dishwasher (at least it wasn't the oven!)

Anyway, once I realized what "TB" was, I, myself, became intrigued on the phone. Now, I do like my fascinate, even though I spent the cool-full retail on it. We are both ready for our renewals and I am ready to have quicker speeds! My girlfriend will LOVE being able to argue with me in person (well, via skype whenever it becomes available).

So, Thursday we are heading up to our local premium retailer that loves us so much (They sent us holiday cards, corporate stores never did that to us!) and getting our money ready to fly from our pocket into their's.

Well, I made it through the last three or four months in one piece (more or less), my girlfriend has had fun making my life one big suspense thriller.

I hope I just don't get too excited and run out of the store yelling "I Have TUBERCULOSIS!"

Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB.
The date the pictures first hit the internet I told my fiance I found our next phone. I have an EnV3 she has a flip chocolate. What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
LTE, 32gb preinstalled, Sense 2.0How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
I have had some dreams and last night I did not sleep at allWhat your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
Brick and Morter 9am sharp, I have mine waitingAnd anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
Coming from an EnV3 and a family who think iOS is gods gift to the planet, I want to show them what a phone priced at $200 should be able to do, and that we should not be limited to wifi only video calling, or approved apps that you need apps on your computer to register. I have been faithfully following this phone since CES and I plan on having this phone for a long time, I messed around with my dads EVO and thought man if the TBolt is the next gen I will be very very happy. The fact that LTE is building penetrating 700mhz I will be glad to show my 4G unlimited speeds to my family over dinner on sunday. My Bday is also March 29th so this would be the icing on the cake.

1. Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB.
I started following it after my mom who's so totally not into smartphones picked up a HTC Incredible. I was so into her phone and played with it constantly. Then I looked into HTC's line up and saw the Thunderbolt. Been following the release date since it was announced at CES.2. What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
Screen size for sure! I am the mom of two little toddlers and they are in love with cell phones! Sadly, I have a BB so there's only 1 silly alphabet game that they can play. I am so excited to be able to give them more games on the new phone. It's more for them really than it is for me!3. How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
I have never followed anything like this before so what I thought was an easy purchase right?! I was eligible to upgrade back in August 2009 and have been waiting for the perfect phone. Thought it was the iPhone4 on Verizon but changed my mind after reading about the Thunderbolt. I've been glued to my laptop and googling every story there is on this phone since!4. What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
Would love to be able to pick it up at my local Verizon store at 9am when they open on Thursday. Still waiting from my corporate rep to see if there's anything she can do for me until then.5. And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
My two little girls are extremely excited that they will be able to watch Nick Jr and their shows on my phone! I'm gonna be one cool momma!

Tell us when you first started showing interest in the TB.
The Thunderbolt first caught my attention back in November when it was known as the HTC Mecha. The leaked images caught my eye along with the rumored specs. This fascination and curiosity continued to grow as more photos were leaked. Then the Verizon keynotes at CES peaked my attention and I knew the Thunderbolt was my next device!

What interested you the most (features/aesthetics,etc.)?
I have always been an HTC fan, so the Thunderbolt's build quality and outstanding hardware caught my eye. Although this is very important to me, the HTC always catches my attention because they keep their devices open (or relatively speaking).

How crazy you've gone through all these delays?
The delays have been killer for me. I moved for work the first week in January and have not had TMobile data coverage since that time... due to my new location. (only GPRS, not even EDGE... 3G is out of the question completely!)

I have suffered through each and every rumored launch hoping that the next would hold true. This whole time, I have been making my fiance and future mother-in-law wait to switch carriers to Verizon so we could all be on a family plan together. They now think I am crazy!

Long story short, my anxiety continued to build until March when I decided to just go with the flow and not believe any rumors. The only hope I had was listening to Panda and trusting his March, 17th prophecy. Waiting any longer would make the future-wife and future-mother-in-law batty.

What your purchasing plan is: online, brick and morter, waiting outside Verizon's store all night?
Initially I was planning to take advantage of the Wirefly price!! The $199 (no tax, free shipping) was very tempting... but they do not offer one-year contracts. I am sticking to a one-year contract on the Thunderbolt, so I will plan to snag the device during my lunch break on Thursday at the local Verizon Corporate Store.

I would go first thing in the morning, but I come into work at 7 and the Verizon Store will not be open at this time.

And anything else that you think we'd find humorous or interesting.
Don't worry!! Even though I am planning to open a one-year contract with the Thunderbolt, I promise to get great use out of it and take wonderful care of it (with the help of the Seidio case) for the next owner.

I ultimately chose the one-year contract to help stay current and keep my options flexible, rather than locking myself into 2 years.

This forum has been absolutely awesome! Sharing frustrations of failure to communicate by VZW and BB with all of you was great! I hope we can continue the comraderie as we learn to use the TBolt and help each other change our lives!

I've been following the Bolt since Feb. and checked various sites/forums daily. I've been using a Blackberry for years (for work) and also carry a personal phone (old LG Dare) and hate both; need to get with the times! Many people at work have upgraded to iPhone when it came out but I wanted to hold out for the TBolt since the HTC Sense UI looks so much more powerful. 4G LTE was also appealing.